Dear Ellen,
My name is Paul Lambis and I am
writing to you from the island of Cyprus, Europe. Although we are unable to follow your show on
any one of our local networks, I remain indebted to your website and YOUTUBE
channel which highlight the wonderful things you do. Your humility and warmth, combined with your
extraordinary talent and humour are uplifting; it is during these trying times
that one appreciates the importance of laughter.
I was born in Johannesburg, South
Africa and relocated to Cyprus twelve years ago. Since my arrival on the island, I have been
working as a freelance writer for several local publications, and have written
and produced my own theatrical plays. In
2008, I was involved in a near-fatal car accident, which confined me to my bed
for six months. The doctors were unable
to offer me any hope of walking, but my positive attitude trumped them in the
end. After an intense eighteen months of
physiotherapy, I was able to stand on my own two feet, and face the world with
an optimistic outlook on life.
I was inspired to put pen-to-paper,
and published my novel – an autobiography detailing my hilarious journey of
contrasts, sharing my experiences and the healing powers of laughter. What emerged from the book was a quote with
which I have founded my beliefs on: “If you don’t laugh at life, life will
laugh at you.”
In March this year, the financial
crisis plagued the island of Cyprus, to the extent that thousands were left
jobless, and those with work were forced to accept large pay cuts. One of the sectors affected by this economic
recession was the Performing Arts.
Despite our efforts to keep this industry alive, we are constantly
confronted with closed doors, and often resort to scrounging outside large
corporations for a small contribution.
It seems that the economic downturn has blindfolded most people from the
importance of supporting the Arts. If
only people could see the significance of our industry, the professionalism and
talent of its people, and what a difference theatre could make to enrich one’s
own outlook on the world. Perhaps my
dream of a ‘Theatre Utopia’ might seem far-fetched, but I believe in making a
difference, and I hope to be able to establish a financially-independent
organisation in the near-future, that will support, provide work, encourage and
expose the talent that Cyprus has to offer.
Thank you for making us laugh, and for
supporting us in your own unique way.
Warm regards,
Paul Lambis
Weight
for me soon. Paul
Paul Lambis has written, and will be directing the riveting war drama “74”, based on the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. He is also the author of “Where is Home?” – A journey of hilarious contrasts. For more information on Paul Lambis, and to order his book online, visit www.paul-lambis.com
